Senior Reliability Engineer

Skyways; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Skyways in Austin, Texas, is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to lead technical investigations and enhance the reliability of our autonomous aircraft. In this role, you will be responsible for driving root cause corrective action initiatives while collaborating with various engineering teams.

The ideal candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field, alongside over seven years of experience in aerospace or safety-critical sectors. Strong troubleshooting and data analysis skills are essential for this position.

Join us in creating a new form of transportation backed by significant industry support!

Qualifications

• 7+ years of engineering experience in safety-critical industries.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across hardware and software.
• Experience applying investigation methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the RCCA lifecycle from intake to closure.
• Analyze flight data to identify reliability trends.
• Collaborate across teams to investigate and document findings.
• Author technical reports for engineering and regulatory needs.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Systems-level problem-solving

Data analysis

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related

Tools

Python

SQL

Job description

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company has spent the last eight years developing and deploying autonomous logistics systems for real-world operations.

Our V2 aircraft carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles, while our next-generation V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000+ miles with 20+ hours of endurance. Both use a hybrid‑electric architecture that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane, enabling long‑range autonomous delivery without traditional runway infrastructure.

Today, Skyways aircraft operate across three continents in controlled national airspace under FAA oversight and in support of U.S. military operations. We are transitioning from prototype development to full‑rate production and scaling toward large autonomous cargo fleets.

Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M AFWERX STRATFI award from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is creating a new form of transportation to advance our civilization from Austin, Texas.

The Opportunity

Skyways is hiring a Senior Reliability Engineer to lead technical investigations and drive closure of reliability issues across our active V2 and V3 aircraft fleets.

In this role, you will serve as the technical owner for Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) activities. You will work closely with Flight Test, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to investigate failures, validate corrective actions, and improve fleet reliability.

If you enjoy solving difficult technical problems, digging through flight data, working hands‑on with hardware, and collaborating across multiple disciplines to improve real‑world aircraft performance, this is for you!

What You’ll Do

• Lead the RCCA Lifecycle: Own the end‑to‑end investigation process for fleet reliability issues, from initial intake and root‑cause analysis through to implementation, validation, and permanent closure.
• Drive Data‑Driven Insights: Analyze complex flight logs, telemetry, manufacturing, and maintenance data to identify systemic reliability trends and recurring failure modes.
• Collaborate Across Disciplines: Partner with Flight Test, Manufacturing, Software, and Engineering teams to reproduce anomalies, conduct hands‑on investigations, and deploy corrective actions.
• Communicate & Document Findings: Author technical reports and RCCA documentation suitable for engineering reviews, leadership, and regulatory needs, ensuring clear communication of engineering decisions.
• Improve Fleet Health: Proactively contribute to reliability metrics, continuous improvement initiatives, and design feedback loops to ensure lessons learned improve future aircraft performance.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, robotics, aviation, automotive, or other safety‑critical industries.
• Strong troubleshooting and systems‑level problem‑solving skills across hardware, software, and operational environments.
• Experience applying investigation methodologies such as 8D, 5‑Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree Analysis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), or similar approaches.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate findings to engineers, leadership, customers, and external stakeholders.
• Comfortable working hands‑on with aircraft hardware, instrumentation, test equipment, and troubleshooting activities.
• Proficiency with Python, SQL, or similar tools for data analysis and trend identification.

Bonus Points

• Experience supporting unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), autonomous vehicles, or aviation platforms.
• Familiarity with ArduPilot, PX4, MAVLink, DroneCAN, or comparable flight‑control ecosystems.
• Experience investigating avionics, GPS, navigation, communications, propulsion, power‑system, battery, or flight‑control issues.
• Experience with reliability engineering practices such as FRACAS, MTBF analysis, reliability growth tracking, and fleet health monitoring.

Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!

Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.

Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.